The present invention relates to a remote charging system and method for charging one or more electronic devices in at least one consumer's side.
There are many devices that use electricity as their energy source, but due to their mobility needs they use batteries as their energy supplier. Such energy consumers may include computer mouse, television remote control, DVD remote control, air condition remote control, shaver, electrical tooth brash, wireless line phone extension, camera, etc. Each such consumer needs a periodical replacement of its battery. Since batteries are pollution sources, and since their replacement is tiresome (you need to keep stock; you need to replace; you need to throw them to a specific garbage container) there is a need for a system that will charge the consumers without the need of the user to do anything.
When it comes to medical device the nuisance is even greater and in some cases replacement of a battery may be a life threatening procedure. There are many medical implanted and attached devices that use batteries as a disposable electrical source. Implanted batteries are required to power the implanted devices for five to eight years, with minimal drop in the output voltage and without any undesirable effects such as swelling due to gas generation. Replacing the batteries in the implanted device, such as heart pace maker, requires surgery associated with risk, discomfort and cost.
Due to the burden of battery change, about half of the occupied space of an implanted medical device is consumed by the internal battery to give as much life span to the battery as possible. In addition, since the energy in the implanted device is so expensive, physicians compromise on their requirements, and important features like collecting data from the implanted device are done in long time intervals in order to save the energy. In attached devices, such as hearing aid, change of batteries is required in a relatively high frequency that may vary from once a day to once a week. Thus, it becomes a nuisance to the user.
Therefore it is obvious that a mechanism that will exclude the need for disposable batteries is desired. Currently available external charging rewires physical attachment of the external unit to the patient body and active involvement of the patient in the activation of the charging process.